Ramblings on bookish matters. Horror and fantasy have the lion’s share, but not exclusively. Occasional interviews, art posts and bumblings.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Title spotlight - "The Edinburgh Dead" by Brian Ruckley

Among the fantasy series that I loved a lot Brian Ruckley’s “Godless World” can be found. “Winterbirth”, “Bloodheir” and “Fall of Thanes” took me into an interesting and catchy setting and captured my attention with a gritty story, some excellent battle scenes and a few very strong characters. Since then I wished to read more of Brian Ruckley’s stories, those that he will write, because after all “Godless World” is his debut series. Such an occasion will arise next year when Orbit Books will release Brian Ruckley’s new novel, “The Edinburgh Dead”. It is a shift from the “Godless World” novels, but that is not a problem, Brian Ruckley’s style appeals to me and his new novel looks to be interesting.

Mixing real history and historical figures with magics and conspiracies, this novel imagines the Edinburgh of 1827, populated by mad alchemists who treat Frankenstein as textbook rather than novel, and by a criminal underclass prepared to treat with the darkest of powers.

The plot follows the progress of an officer of the recently formed Edinburgh City Police as he follows a trail of undead hounds, emptied graves, brutal murders and mob violence into the deepest and darkest corners of Edinburgh’s underworld – both literal and magical – and back again to the highest reaches of elegant, intellectual Edinburgh society.